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John Hollenhorst ReportingA preliminary hearing on accessory-to-rape charges resumes Thursday for polygamist leader Warren Jeffs amidst indications that some of his closest followers are abandoning their community on the Utah-Arizona border. A number of houses have suddenly turned up empty.
The court has already heard the prosecution's key witness, who says Jeffs coerced her to marry one of his followers and have sex at the age of 14. Now we should hear defense witnesses.
Meanwhile, something strange is going on in the Jeffs' border town of Hildale, Utah and Colorado City, Arizona.
A house of Warren Jeffs' brother is suddenly abandoned. The family home of a Jeffs' brother-in-law was also recently vacated. In another one we found the people investigating aren't sure who lived there. A very large family emptied it and moved away. FLDS Neighbors loyal to Jeffs are no help.
Isaac Wyler, Former F.L.D.S. Member: "No, they won't talk to you. They won't open the door. Even if they did, they'd just tell you they can 'answer you nothing,' and slam the door in your face."
Isaac Wyler is a former FLDS member, now helping figure out what to do with 11 empty houses. Seven were abandoned in the last two weeks by some of Jeffs' closest relatives and followers.
Isaac Wyler: "Obviously they were polygamists. There's about 13 bedrooms in this house and probably about ten bathrooms."
As they moved out, the families posted notices saying they were turning the properties over to managers of the United Effort Plan Trust. The U.E.P. trust owns nearly all property in town. The trust was seized by the courts and is now under government supervision. Current and former members of the FLDS Church can file a claim to the houses.
Jeffrey L. Shields, Attorney for U.E.P. Trust Fiduciary: "If someone claims they built this house and have some rights to it, then they should petition the trust and put on their case."
So where did the families go? Some perhaps to the Jeffs compound in Texas. A recent rumor is that key Jeffs followers moved to Alaska.
Isaac Wyler: "I wouldn't be surprised if he's got a compound in almost every state in the union."
Wyler believes the leaders are abandoning the Utah-Arizona border community under orders issued from his jail cell by Warren Jeffs. He'll be out of that cell today and may learn if he will stand trial on charges of being an accessory to rape.
